Southern Alps focus for international science experiment

NIWA scientists are this month taking a
significant role in one of the largest science experiments
to take place in New Zealand.

Called DEEPWAVE (Deep
Propagating Gravity Wave Experiment), the international
experiment involving universities and research centres from
five countries, is studying the atmosphere over the Southern
Alps during June and July.

Two specially equipped research
aircraft, a Gulfstream V jet from the US and a Falcon 20 jet
from Germany, will act as “flying laboratories”, making
up to 20 flights each over the six week duration of the
experiment. They will be based at Christchurch
Airport.

DEEPWAVE also involves scientists working from
six sites across the South Island and in Wellington. The
experiment has been several years in the planning and the
overseas or international involvement is being funded by the
US National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Office of Naval
Research and Naval Research Laboratory.

It aims to better
understand how gravity waves evolve and how they can be
better predicted. The information gathered will ultimately
lead to more accurate weather forecasts.

NIWA scientist
Michael Uddstrom said the Southern Alps offered a unique
opportunity for this type of atmospheric research because of
the reliability of the westerly wind circulation patterns in
the area.

“The effects of gravity waves have not been
well studied and this experiment will enable us to add vital
data to our weather and climate prediction models,” Dr
Uddstrom said.

The data collected will have a vital role
in enhancing computer modelling of weather and climate
across the globe.

The NSF/National Center for Atmospheric
Research Gulfstream V research aircraft from the US will be
using multiple technologies to take measurements between the
surface and 100km altitude.

These include deploying
dropsondes that measure the atmospheric from the aircraft to
the surface and lidars that look upward that make
measurements of key atmospheric parameters up to almost 100
km.

A Falcon 20 aircraft, operated by the German Aerospace
Centre, will fly at a lower altitude slightly ahead of the
Gulfstream taking measurements from the surface up to about
11km.

NIWA’s expertise in weather prediction science is
crucial to the experiment with NIWA scientists based in
Christchurch assisting with forecasting the best times for
the aircraft to fly to make the most of the atmospheric
conditions when gravity waves are being generated. The
flights take place at night and may last up to nine
hours.

Up to 200 people, including about 15 NIWA staff,
will be involved in the experiments with scientists based
in the South Island at Hokitika, Birdlings Flat (near
Christchurch), Mt John (Lake Tekapo), Lauder (Central
Otago), Invercargill and Haast.

They will be responsible
for taking a range of measurements that will be then be
integrated with aircraft and satellite data to provide a
complete vertical profile of the atmosphere from the ground
up to about 100km. A full meteorological station is also
being set up at Hokitika Airport.

NIWA’s Tony Bromley
and Sally Gray will be at Haast, where their equipment will
be set up in a paddock. They will release weather balloons
that will fly to more than 30km altitude to coincide with
the research flights. Radiosondes attached to the balloons
will transmit a range of atmospheric measurements.

Mr
Bromley said it was an exciting experiment to be involved in
because of its scale and the new information that would be
gathered.

“We want to show how important these gravity
waves are. The more data we collect, the more information we
can put into our computer models of the atmosphere and the
more accurate our weather and climate forecasting will
be.”

Dr Uddstrom is one of the principal investigators
involved in the project reflecting NIWA’s long-standing
reputation a leading atmospheric science research
institute.

DEEPWAVE is also being operated by the National
Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in collaboration with
the German Aerospace Centre DLR, UK Met Office, NZ
MetService, NRL and the Australian Antarctic
Division.

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